There truly is beauty in simplicity as proven by Quell, a puzzler that you can enjoy even on a rainy day. This game was truly an enjoyable experience, which is saying something because I normally don’t play puzzlers. Reason being is it isn’t as action-packed as I’m normally used to. But Quell offers a truly relaxing experience that still manages to force you to think about the moves you make.

Gameplay 10/10

Quell offers a genuinely relaxing experience that still manages to force you to use your brain. In a sentence, Quell puts you in the shoes of a raindrop trying to collect golden pearls whilst avoiding obstacles such as spikes and endless loops. Your probably thinking, endless loops? Well there are levels where the levels aren’t completely bordered by walls. These “holes” allow you to go through them and end up on the other side of the level, further deepening the strategy needed to beat levels due to the fact that the raindrop keeps on going in one direction till it hits an object. Another obstacle one comes upon are “male” and “female” blocks that when “married” disappear. Unique obstacles such as these truly deepen the game even further. My interpretation of the game is that of a complicated puzzler veiled by it’s simple ideas.

Graphics 10/10

The graphic portion of the game is beauty in simplicity defined. Your little more than a raindrop trying to collect golden pearls which for some reason litter your window. Everything is easily recognizable so you won’t be confused anytime soon. All the colors contrast each other enough to separate you from deadly traps. There really isn’t much to talk about when it comes to the graphics because it’s all so simple. But if I were to explain it in fewest words possible, it would be “simple and cozy”.

Controls 10/10

I’m gonna start the controls portion of this review off with this phrase, “they nailed it”! You only need one finger and one gesture to play the game. You basically just swipe left and right, up and down, on any part of the screen in order to get the raindrop moving. This way you can play the game while drinking your coffee, writing reviews, or driving. Although the very latter should be avoided. Once again something is so simple there’s not much to say about it. But that’s just as much a good thing as it is a bad thing, if there’s anything bad about it.

Sound 8/10

The majority of the sound in Quell you’ll be hearing is the music. Which is unfortunate for me, because although the music is nice and relaxing, I like a bit more detail in my games. Basically I just wish there were a little more sound effects, like maybe a fluid kind of sound when the raindrop moves. But maybe that’s just me. Anyway, in no way does the music immerse you into the game. But you don’t need it to, it’s not like there’s a story for you to immerse into. The music is mainly meant to relax you, and it does such a good job at it that right after playing a few rounds I ended up pretty mellowed out. All in all, Quell has great music but a little more sound wouldn’t hurt.

Menus 10/10

Easily navigable menus that easily blends in with the theme of the game makes me a happy boy. There were no problems when it came to the menus. They pulled it off so well that first touch will always take you where you need to be.

Longevity 8/10

With its difficult puzzles later in the game Quell can be a pretty lengthy experience. Even if you take “hints” (clues to solve the puzzle) it’s still pretty lengthy because you have a limit to using hints. But I find that once you beat a puzzle, you may remember the patterns needed to solve it. So it’s lengthy for a single play through for those with photographic memories. But if you don’t have photographic memory, then your in for a game that will be on your device for a while.

Cost 10/10

No matter how hard you try, you will not find a game with this kind of polish for cheaper than $0.99/£0.63. It’s one of those gems the App Store lacks yet is known for.

Conclusion 66/70 – 4/5

Like I said, this game is among those gems that the App Store lacks yet is known for. This game is an absolute joy to play, especially when your all alone. It allows you to challenge your critical thinking all while relaxing. Unlike other puzzlers that can get pretty tense, Quell doesn’t have a timer or anything that requires you to finish as soon as possible. So you can just take your time, mellow out, and have fun with it. So the next time your down to your last $0.99/£0.63 in your iTunes account, take some time to consider Quell as your next purchase.